APC Asks Police to Arrest Hunye Over Claim to Governorship Ticket

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken its fight with Abayomi Hunye to a new level. The party has asked the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, to investigate, arrest and prosecute Hunye. They claim he is falsely presenting himself as their candidate for the governorship in Ogun State.

This petition, dated 24 August, was submitted at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. The APC is unhappy about Hunye's actions, especially since they have already chosen Ogun West senator, Solomon Olamilekan, known as Yayi, as their candidate for the January 2027 election.

Kudirat Balogun has been named as Olamilekan's running mate. Ayoola Olajolo, the Director of Administration at the APC National Headquarters, signed the petition. They accuse Hunye of false representation, impersonation and actions that could disturb public peace.

The APC claims that Hunye's actions go against the Electoral Act 2026. They stated, "The subject has notoriously and unlawfully taken to the public domain, including print and social media, parading himself as the Governorship Candidate of our Party for the forthcoming January 2027 election."

They added, "I wish to state unequivocally that this claim is false, fraudulent, and a deliberate act of impersonation designed to mislead the public and destabilise the peace of Ogun State."

The APC's petition highlights Hunye’s membership status. They argue he cannot represent the party because he was suspended months before this dispute started. According to the party, he was suspended on 7 April after a petition from his ward, Tube Ward, in Ipokia Local Government Area.

The suspension was confirmed at the local government level and by the Ogun State Working Committee before being sent to the national headquarters. The APC says the suspension followed claims that Hunye engaged in activities that hurt the party's image and caused division among members.

On 24 August, the national leadership of the APC stated that Hunye remains suspended. They say he does not have the authority to represent the party or claim its governorship ticket. In addition to the suspension, the APC also pointed out that it has completed its nomination process and submitted its candidates' information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The party has finished its governorship primary and nominated Olamilekan as its candidate. They submitted the particulars of Olamilekan and Balogun to INEC on 7 August, receiving acknowledgment slips from the commission.

The APC argues that Hunye's claims could confuse voters and party members about who their real candidate is. The Ogun State chapter also confirmed Olamilekan as their candidate after Hunye challenged the party's decision. Olamilekan got 304,055 votes out of 305,287 accredited voters during the primary.

The APC's national leadership has called Hunye an impostor. They warned individuals and groups against dealing with him regarding the party's governorship candidacy. In their latest petition, the party asked police to step in before the situation worsens in Ogun State.

The APC wants the IGP to direct the police to question Hunye about what they call possible offences under Nigerian law. After the investigation, they want Hunye prosecuted for his alleged impersonation and actions that could disturb public peace.

The party also asked the police to stop him from claiming to be the APC’s governorship candidate. They stated, "In view of the foregoing, I most respectfully pray that you use your good office to direct the immediate intervention of the Nigeria Police Force to invite Mr Abayomi Hunye for immediate questioning regarding the aforementioned infringements and probable commission of offences against Nigerian Laws."

They added that he should be prosecuted after the investigation and prevented from presenting himself as their candidate again. They promised to cooperate fully with the police investigation, saying their national and Ogun State structures would provide witness statements and other evidence when needed.

Hunye has rejected the claim that he is impersonating anyone. He insists he is challenging how Olamilekan became the APC candidate. He has gone to court to contest the result. On Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, he said he is not unlawfully claiming to be the APC candidate.

Hunye questioned why the party sold him a N50 million nomination form and allowed him to participate if they had already decided on Olamilekan. He also alleged that some APC leaders threatened him to withdraw from the contest, which has increased the tension over the party's nomination process.

This disagreement is about the APC’s plans for the 2027 governorship election. They have picked Olamilekan, who represents Ogun West in the Senate, as their candidate. The state governor, Dapo Abiodun, introduced him to APC stakeholders in Ogun West in May as the party's consensus candidate.

Abiodun explained that they chose a candidate from Ogun West to fix what he called a long-standing imbalance. He noted that this senatorial district has not had a governor since Ogun State was created. Despite this, Hunye took part in the nomination process and later rejected the outcome.

In June, he called for the cancellation of the APC governorship primary due to alleged irregularities. He questioned how he could have received zero votes when he claims to have supporters across the state's 236 wards and 20 local government areas.

The dispute continued even after the party moved ahead with Olamilekan’s candidacy. In June, APC leaders in Hunye’s Tube Ward publicly supported Olamilekan and rejected attempts to contest the primary results. The party later announced Balogun as Olamilekan’s running mate after deciding to zone the deputy governorship position to Ogun East Senatorial District.